Strohsemmelfest Lemgo

Three Days in Lemgo's City Centre — Dedicated to the Strohsemmel

The Strohsemmelfest is Lemgo's major summer city festival and has been established for over 20 years. It is organized by Lemgo Marketing e.V., the city's marketing association, supported by numerous local sponsors — including Sparkasse Lemgo and the Warsteiner Brewery. The 2026 festival will take place on the traditional last weekend of June, from Friday, June 26th to Sunday, June 28th.

What Exactly is a Strohsemmel?

The Lemgoer Strohsemmel is a traditional regional rye bread, originally baked on a straw bed in a wood-fired oven — hence the name. The bread has a slightly aromatic, hearty consistency and is considered a culinary identity marker in the Lippe region. The Strohsemmelfest turns this regional baking heritage into a three-day city festival where the bread is tasted in all imaginable variations — plain, with Lippische Mettwurst, with cheese from Verl, with antipasti from the south.

Program in the Abteigarten

The gastronomic heart of the Strohsemmelfest is the Abteigarten — the garden of the former collegiate abbey right next to the church. Here, local restaurateurs will serve Strohsemmel specialties over three days, complemented by antipasti, cheese, crêpes, and paired with Mediterranean wines. Live music accompanies the evenings — from DJ sets to acoustic performances and the appearance of the soloist Gianni, who has been part of the Strohsemmelfest for years.

Artisan Market and Family Program

On the Marktplatz, around 50 regional artisans will open their stalls over the weekend: pottery, blacksmith work, wood and leather crafts, natural cosmetics from the Teutoburg Forest, regional food products, honey, decorations. Opening hours are Saturday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On Sunday, the market square becomes a family stage with an open-air church service, performances by the Schwelentrup Music Corps, and the GADA Jazz Band. A classic of the program is the performance by the one-man orchestra 'Dr. Musikus', who holds a Guinness World Record with over 30 instruments played simultaneously — a walking act show through the old town that enchants both children and adults.

Sunday Shopping and Tractor Exhibition

Sunday from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM is Sunday shopping — Lemgo's city center shops will open their doors, and a free city bus will shuttle through the old town. An additional attraction: local classic car enthusiasts will exhibit classic tractors and agricultural machinery, telling the story of several generations of agriculture in the Lippe region.

Lemgo — Hanseatic City in the Teutoburg Forest

Lemgo is an old Hanseatic city in the Lippe district of Ostwestfalen, located on the edge of the Teutoburg Forest. With around 41,000 inhabitants and a well-preserved medieval old town with Weser Renaissance architecture, Lemgo is considered the 'Old Hanseatic City of the Weser Renaissance'. Brake Castle, the Hexenbürgermeisterhaus (Witch Mayor's House), and the Junkerhaus are known beyond the region. The Strohsemmelfest plays with this cultural-historical depth — celebrations take place among patrician houses, half-timbered gables, and the monastery garden.